Trap for oil wells or pumps



H. McD. RILEY.

TRAP FOR ()IL WELLS 0R PUMPS.

APPLICATION man JUNE 11. 1919.

1,334,678. Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

A TTORIIEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MCDONALD RILEY, OF EAST LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO.

TRAP FOR OIL WELLS 0R PUMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 23, 1920- Application filed. June 17, 1919. Serial No. 304,914.

Traps for Oil lVells or Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to oil Wells or pumps and has for its object the provision of a pan member or receptacle adapted for association with the upper end of an oil well casing or a pump tubing whereby surplus oil issuing from the discharge nozzle of the well or pump may be caught and run to a suitable receptacle whereby the great waste occurring under the present system will be eliminated.

In the oil fields, especially where the oil wells are large producers, when a pump .is operated in the well, at the top of the plungel rod oil will be forced several inches, and in some cases a foot or more, above the top of the casing, by reason of defective packing or in some cases no packing at all. This oil is splashed over the ground surrounding the well casing and in the course of a few days large quantities collect and run off into adjoining depressions, ravines, and into streams, with the result that the streams are covered with a thick coating of oil which has been thus wasted. Sometimes this oil takes fire and burns for days, destroying surrounding timber, erops, etc. The oil also renders the water in the streams unfit for drinking purposes, and it will therefore be seen that the damage caused by such waste is very great regardless of the fact that the loss itself is costly. Similarly, in places where are used oil receptacles, as in industrial establishments, the means employed for forcing out a desired quantity of oil is often used to an excessive extent so that more oil than is desired is forced out, with the result that the surplus wasted.

it is with the above facts in view that my invention has been designed and my invention has for its object the provision of a trap which will catch this surplus oil and save it and also prevent damage caused by its overflow.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture and in stallation, highly efiicient and durable in use, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illus trated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a plan view of my device,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View, and

Fig. 4: is a cross sectional View on the line lf-4: of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the draw-' ing, the letter A designates the top portion of a well casing and B designates the discharge tube extending therethrough.

In carrying out my invention 1 provide a receptacle in the form of a preferably rectangular pan 10 which is provided at its upper edges with outwardly flaring flanges l1 and which is provided at the center of its bottom with a depending collar portion 12 adapted to be secured upon the top of the casing A and clamped thereon by means of suitable bolts 13 and nuts 14. The pan 10 is provided centrally with a transverse partition 15 dividing it into two compartments especially adapted for use when the tubing B is provided with a goose-neck discharge end 16. Connected with one end of each of the compartments formed by the partition 15, is a pipe 17 which extends downwardly and these pipes lead to a common pipe 18 which leads to any suitable storage receptacle, not shown.

In the use of the device it will be seen that any oil overflowing at the discharge tubing or any surplus oil issuing from the discharge nozzle 16 after the desired amount has been discharged therefrom, will flow into the receptacle 10 and pass into the pipes 17 and then into the pipe 18, from which it will flow into the receptacle provided.

From. the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will be apparent that I have thus provided a very simple receptacle device adapted for association with a well casing or pump whereby oil overflowing or otherwise issuing therefrom will be caught and discharged into a suitable reservoir so that waste of the oil itself will be prevented and so that damage usually caused by the waste of such oil will be eliminated.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In combination with a well casing, a rectangular receptacle disposed upon the top of 7 the casing and divided centrally by a artition into two similar compartments, an e members on the under side of said receptac e clampingly engaged about the well casing, pipes connected and communicating with said compartments and leading to a common pipe extending to a reservoir, and a discharge tube extending into said well casing and having its upper portion downwardly curved, said discharge tube being rotatable whereby to be disposed over either compartment.

HENRY MoDONALD RILEY. 

